


The Age of the Dragon

by Arkantos95



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:40:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28489215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arkantos95/pseuds/Arkantos95
Summary: Archmage Einar Haralson, aka The Last Dragonborn, has begun to grow bored with his position at the College. On a routine mission to quell one of the ruptures caused by the Eye of Magnus, he is hurled into the world of Thedas, in the land of Ferelden during the Fifth Blight.
Kudos: 9





	The Age of the Dragon

Einar's eyes began to slowly squint open as the weak winter sunlight above Winterhold began to pierce through the frost covering his bed chambers windows. One of the downsides of the archmage's quarters was that being the tallest room in the College, it was filled with light before any other. He sighed and began to roll out of bed, careful to speak the incantation for the spell that quickly warmed the floor of the chamber. One perk of being a master of both Transmutation and Destruction, instilling flames into objects without causing harm was a trivial thing now.

He began his day, as usual, dressing in a warm robe and sitting down to review the latest tomes delivered from High Hrothgar. The Greybeards had, at Paarthurnax's behest, begun sending their knowledge of the Thu'um to be shared with the College. They had been reluctant when he had first made the request, Arngeir being near livid at the very idea of it. A compromise was established, that all tomes sent to the College would be written in Draconic so that the number of scholars with full access to the Greybeard's secrets would be more easily controlled. Urag had been elated at the acquisitions, cracking a smile that Einar hadn't seen since the day he brought the Elder Scroll to the library.

As he leafed through the neat script that could only have been the hand of Wulfgar, he heard the tell-tale sounds of footsteps echoing up the stairs. Knowing only one man had the audacity (or rather, the lack of social awareness) to interrupt him in his morning ritual, he braced himself for whatever "urgent matter" Tolfdir had stumbled onto today. He liked the excitable old man's unwavering moral compass and drive to expand the minds of his students, but ever since he'd become Master Wizard he'd been making the school into a glorified mercenary guild, having the scholars send students out for virtually any magical issue they even heard of in any corner of Skyrim.

 _If he's coming directly to me it can only mean one thing._ he thought as he carefully marked his place and closed the book before getting up and crossing the room to his small armory.

He began to change into the battlemage robe he'd worn during his brief foray into ending the civil war in Skyrim. Ebony and dragonhide, its every surface glimmered faintly with the masterwork of enchantments he and Sergius had created. It was made to turn both sword and spell, even the white-hot flames of a legendary dragon. Alongside it hung a curved, elegant ebony sword equally full of enchantments for when spells ran low, and the fabled Staff of Magnus.

As he took the staff into his hands, he heard the quick, polite rapping at his door that confirmed that it was indeed his second at the door.

"It's unlocked, Tolfdir. Come on in."

The door opened to reveal the aged Transmutation scholar in his winter robes.

"Ah. Arch-Mage. Good to see you up and about so bright and early. Are you headed off somewhere in particular?"

"Just wherever the latest magical anomaly you've tracked down is," Einar replied as he attached his sword to the belt of his robes. Tolfdir gave him a genuine smile in response to what he apparently perceived as eagerness.

"Ha! Quick on the uptake as always, Einar. Thankfully this one is actually within the hold, so you shouldn't have to travel for more than a few hours."

"Wonderful, I can freeze half to death before I even get to the rift, _and_ we won't be compensated for this," Einar grumbled. "I swear, there are days I'm half tempted to raise Ancano just so I can kill him again."

"Things will only get worse with the locals if they have things they can actually blame us for," Tolfdir admonished. "And while this may be the fault of Ancano, we can't ignore the fact that this event occurred under our very noses."

"Yes yes, hearts and minds first, pockets and hands second. Put it on the map while I finish gearing up." He said as he turned his back on him.

"Oh, ah, of course, Arch-Mage."

* * *

Einar once again sighed wearily. Once he would've been elated to be out in the world, braving the elements and the dangerous wildlife as he trudged through the frozen wastes of Winterhold. There was even a time he wouldn't have gone alone, believing that the perils of Skyrim's untamed wilds could provide a challenge even for him.

But now, years after the dragon crisis had been finished, Ulfric's rebellion crushed to bring peace to the land, and the mastery of the full breadth of the arcane arts as well as the various words of power under his belt, the only thing he felt was sheer absolute boredom. This must have been at least the hundredth of these rifts spewing out the wisp-like creatures known as Magical Anomalies that had appeared first during Ancano's meddling with the Eye of Magnus. As a careless step sent him waist-deep into soft snow, a curse ripped from his lips.

 _One day, I am going to find whatever plane of Oblivion that smirking Altmer bastard was dragged to, rip his soul in half, and give the pieces to Mehrunes Dagon and Sithis._ he thought as he cleared himself a way back to solid ground. 

He supposed he could have brought a mount to make this part easier, but even Skyrim horses couldn't withstand the combined cold and the potential danger these magic-resistant balls of pure energy were capable of. He'd just end up being out a considerable amount of gold and still have to walk back.

Mercifully, he began to hear the telltale whispering that indicated either he was about to stumble upon a group of angry ice wraiths, or he was nearing his goal. Either way, the monotony of travel was about to be interrupted. He began to walk around a large rock on the side of the path when he locked his eyes on his target. A trio of the small creatures maneuvering around a ripple in the air that signified the rupture they'd spawned from.

"Let's get this over with," he muttered as he drew his sword and the staff. As he stepped fully into view, he heard the loud hiss signaling that the Anomalies had spotted him. The first ran straight into the tip of his sword as he thrust it out with practiced ease, exploding into a rush of freezing air and fine powder. The second he hit with a bolt of energy from the Staff, draining its essence quickly, causing a second small explosion. The third rammed into his chest, filling him with freezing cold even as the enchantments worked to heal the damage caused. A pair of swift strikes were enough to dispatch this last wisp, and so his attention turned to the rupture.

He began to point the Staff at the rupture as he had many times before, but something made him hesitate. He'd never seen a rupture quite this size, and now that he looked closely, it had a strange purple hue. It was then that he felt the tickle in the back of his brain that he hadn't felt in months: Curiosity. Known by some as the Mage Bane, this irresistible urge seized him for a split second, and suddenly he was reaching out to touch the rupture.

The moment his finger made contact with the shimmering air of the rupture, he felt another pull, this one physical but equally as irresistible as he flew through the rupture onto the other side, the Staff whipping out of his hand. He felt the rushing of air as he sailed through a corridor of what looked like pure Magicka. He felt his sword pulled from his belt by the force of his movement and watched helplessly as it disappeared into the shimmering field around him. Then, a light at the end of the tunnel began to grow brighter and brighter, until the next thing he knew he was inches from hard-packed earth. Slamming into the ground, he lost consciousness almost immediately.

* * *

Throbbing pain in every part of Einar's body greeted him when he awoke, unaware of how much time had passed. He slowly got to his feet, checking to make sure nothing was broken. Thankfully, it appeared the only consequences of his fall would be him being one solid bruise if he didn't heal himself. He raised his hand for the fastest healing spell he knew, but as he flicked his fingers in a practiced motion, nothing happened. No ethereal lights appeared, no soothing relief for the aches he felt.

 _"_ Oh for Azura's sake-" his tirade was cut off by the sound of rustling in the nearby bushes. 

"Who's there?!" he called out, trying to prepare a firebolt but finding that the magic just wouldn't come. It was then that the source of the noise walked from the undergrowth. Standing at only half his height, it looked like some sort of unholy union of Draugr and a squat Falmer. It snarled some foul tongue at him before drawing an ax and charging him.

Instinct caused him to raise his hand to let loose a spell, but again, nothing happened. The creature sprang upon him. He caught its ax arm with one hand, overpowering it with difficulty before it leaned down and bit him hard on the forearm, teeth digging in where the sleeve of his robe had fallen. He roared with pain before kicking the creature off and, as magic was proving unreliable, reached deep to unleash a Shout.

" _ **Yol... TOOR SHUL**_ "he felt the energy of his soul rush out into the world in a familiar way, immolating it in a raging inferno that caused its skin to blacken and shrivel. It writhed and screeched before finally laying still as the flames began to die down. He went to the corpse and wrenched its ax out of its dead hand. Just then he saw more than a dozen similar creatures beginning to creep through the brush towards him, weapons at the ready. Some looked tall enough to be Draugr, but the skin and eyes told him whatever these creatures were, they had never been human.

 _Daedra take me, I can't fight this many alone without magic._ he turned on his heel and released another Shout.

" _ **Wuld... NAH KEST**_ " sprinting with the speed of an arrow from a bow, he tore through the undergrowth away from the creature, he was finally able to properly take in his surroundings.

The air had a chill to it, but it certainly wasn't the Hold in the middle of winter. The ground, though hardened from the cold, had a thick, swampy feel that sucked at his boots with every stride. Part of him considered that it could be Hjallmarch, but he had a nagging sensation that something wasn't right. He'd never seen creatures like the one he'd killed, and the fact that he couldn't cast spells was a definite issue. As he began to slow his pace and take a more stealthy approach as he thought he began to hear human voices, though the accent was unfamiliar to him.

"Did you hear? An entire patrol of seasoned men killed by Darkspawn." a frightened man in chainmail with a greatsword strapped to his back said as Einar peeked through the reeds to see the group. There were three of them, human all, two Imperials and a Breton by the looks of it.

"Calm down, Ser Jory. We'll be fine if we're careful." the blonde Breton in splint mail armor responded. A sword and shield that appeared to be of superior make to the other two's weaponry and his tone told Einar this was probably the leader of the trio. They all looked to be above the rank and file of standard troops, besides, the lack of similarity in their arms and armor indicated that this must be some kind of special squad amongst whatever faction they represented.

"Those soldiers were careful, and they were still overwhelmed. How many Darkspawn can the three of us slay? A dozen? A hundred? There's an entire _army_ in these forests!" Jory snapped back.

_Well, they look capable enough. We should be able to handle the creatures if they don't try to kill me on sight._

"How many can four slay?" Einar asked as he stood up from hiding. All three drew weapons as they spun towards the sound of his voice.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" the Breton said as he stepped in front of the others.

"Einar Haralson, of Ivarstead. Who are you?" he responded calmly.

"Alistair of the Grey Wardens. What are you doing out here? You don't look like a Chasind."

"No idea what any of that means. Am I to take it I'm not in Skyrim anymore?"

"Where the fuck is Skyrim?" the other Imperial in strangely colored leathers asked from the other end of a strung longbow.

"Alright, none of that's important right this moment. I have more than a dozen monsters on my tail and I'd appreciate a hand in relieving them of their heads," he said as he looked behind and saw them closing in. Alistair looked quizzical for a moment before a look of recognition came across his face.

"Darkspawn, incoming!" he yelled to the others. Einar rushed to get in the middle of the group, ready to meet the small horde as they swarmed over the hill. Two fell to the Imperial's arrows before they hit the front line, black ichor flowing down their necks. Einar decided that the group could use a boost to get through this ambush, and released a Shout

" _ **Mid... VUR** **SHAAN**_ " as the words rippled out from him, he saw vigor fill his newfound allies' limbs, causing them to move even faster. Another creature in the back fell, an arrow in each eye. The frightened one in chain showed his mettle admirably despite his apparent lapse in fortitude, cleaving one of the larger creatures nearly in twain before shoving the corpse into the rest to make them stumble. Alistair drove steel into flesh quickly but defensively, attacking but not leaving himself open to attack even as the creature's foul blood sizzled across his skin and armor. Einar set upon one of the smaller creatures, his new ax splitting its skull, the blood flying up his arm and seeping into the bite wound he'd received. He gritted his teeth as searing pain echoed from the wound.

_What in Oblivion is in these creature's blood?_

Thankfully the remainder were dispatched quickly, blood and intestines strewn across the battlefield.

"Right there, Mister Haralson looks like the answer to your question was 'about that many'." the archer quipped.

"Now that threat of imminent death isn't quite as immediate, I'll ask again, Why are you here?" Alistar asked, refusing to sheath his sword.

"I was securing a magical anomaly in Winterhold when I was pulled through a portal to here. Where am I?" 

"You're jokin', right?" the archer asked.

"Considering I just said I'm from most likely at least three places you're unfamiliar with, I question why you'd ask that. So I'll ask again, where am I?"

"Well, Einar of Ivarstead," Alistair said as he finally began to sheath his sword. "You are in the Korcari Wilds, in the southern lands of the kingdom of Ferelden. Which you've somehow managed to stumble through in the middle of a Darkspawn invasion with nothing but an armored dress."

"It's a battlemage robe, Warden," Einar snapped. "Am I even on the planet of Nirn?"

"... no. And quite frankly, we don't have time for crazy. So, if you'll excuse us..." Alistair said as he began to slowly turn away.

"Wait!" Einar called out. "Look, I have no idea where I am. I can handle myself in a fight, but if there are as many of these things in the woods as you say there are, I won't be able to do it alone. I can help with whatever it is you're doing and we can all get back to safety."

"And why should we trust you? You're some crazy man with a booming voice in a dress carrying a darkspa- what's that on your arm?" Alistair's brow furrowed as his gaze locked in on Einar's bleeding forearm.

"Oh, this? Just a bite. Nothing some bandages and a strong drink won't fix." Einar said. "You don't have to worry about it slowing me down."

"Oh, dear. It looks like we're going to need three vials of darkspawn blood." Alistair said as his eyes betrayed a look of pity and concern.

"What in Oblivion are you talking about?" Einar said as he took a step back.

"If you've suffered a bite, and by the looks of it gotten their blood in you as well, you've more than likely already contracted the Blight. If you want to still be alive in six months, I suggest you come with us. Joining the Wardens will stop it from killing you."

"You're... not joking. What in Dagon's balls is the Blight?" 

"That would be what crafted these handsome devils," the archer said as he kicked one of the larger creatures. "That could be you in a few months, mate."

"He's not... entirely wrong. The how and why of the Blight are unknown, but having it can reduce you to a similar state as the Darkspawn here. Or it'll just kill you in an incredibly painful manner." Alistair said with a sideways glance. "Either way, it's actually going to be best if you come with us."

As Einar spoke with the group, he could feel his bite burn with what he could only assume was infection setting in. He cursed himself for not bringing along potions of cure disease like some sort of rank amateur. The Warden, Alistair, seemed to be an honest sort, thankfully. He explained the Darkspawn blood was for a ritual known as the Joining, something that would help him stave off the effects of the taint from being immediately lethal. As they collected their vials and strode further into the Wilds in search of the Warden's second objective, he felt as though they were being watched. His eyes scanned around until he saw a wolf staring at them with a look of intelligent curiosity in its eyes for a split second before it bolted off into the underbrush.

 _This is going to be a strange adventure,_ he thought as he fell in step with the rest of the party. _Well, at least I won't be bored for a long while._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New year, new fic! Trying to get back into writing my own stuff, sorry if the dialogue is a bit rough, it's something I've been working on. I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter. If you have, let me know so I can include more.


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